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WHAT IS WISDOM?

23 Mar 2010

Most people secretly, or openly, admire those who have a knack for success. Maybe they perceive them as having some form of wisdom, and hope by being around them they will discover their secrets. Perhaps they believe they have the “midas touch” for achieving wealth and influence with others.

Many people are on the search for secrets to finding great success, wealth, and influence, and will seek out the latest self-help book hoping to find some secret from the author on how they found their success. And even a few will go so far as to look for a mentor who will reveal their secrets of success to them.

While these methods and self-help books are often helpful, they still only hold the secret to “human” wisdom. Human wisdom will only take you so far. What happens when the rules change, and our society as we know it, turns around and runs by a different set of rules? What may have worked in the past may not work today or in the future.

We (America) are about to enter into this new future. This new future, however, is not just for America. It will be global…and it’s the “new world order.” To be successful in this new realm, will require operating with supernatural wisdom. No longer will human wisdom suffice.

If you want to possess time-tested, long-term success – you will need to pursue a different kind of wisdom. Wisdom that comes from God, is required for living in the coming new world system. A wisdom that is beyond human reasoning. You will need to turn to a “new thing,” as the “old thing” no longer works – it is gone. Many found wealth in the past. But keeping wealth is another story. That takes true, spiritual wisdom.

The dictionary’s meaning of the word “wisdom”:

wis·dom // n.1. The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight. 2. Common sense; good judgment: 3. a. The sum of learning through the ages; knowledge: b. Wise teachings of the ancient sages. 4. A wise outlook, plan, or course of action. 5. WisdomBible Wisdom of Solomon.

Spiritually speaking Godly wisdom is the right use of knowledge. It comes with insight or revelation from the Holy Spirit; therefore, it can only be gained when we know God personally and the Holy Spirit is actively working in our lives. He imparts this spiritual wisdom to us.

Wisdom as a spiritual gift.

Some people have the spiritual gift: Word of Wisdom, or the Spirit of Wisdom. I will address this gift in another blog. Stay tuned.

How to get this kind of wisdom?

Spiritual wisdom is learned from a different kind of mentor and comes from a different source. True success is not just work-related or financial in nature. True success has more to do with a skill set learned in relationship building. When you know the secrets to relationships, you will be successful in your personal life as well.

Many so-called successful people found they knew how to make money, but didn’t know how to keep their family intact. So, were they really successful? Total and complete success requires Godly priorities. Otherwise we’re not always aware of what is really important and what’s not.

When we’re driven in a particular area of life – such as career and getting ahead – we’ll often lack balance in other areas. When you’re balanced, you understand better what’s really important. A balanced life will keep us from the consequence of unbalanced choices. Think of your washing machine. The noise it creates when it is out of balance, is enough to send you running to balance it. The same occurs with our personal life if we will observe the signs and listen to the noise.

Our family and character are more important than any kind of work. But a driven person will not see that until it is too late, and until it has cost too much. Listen while you can still make repairs.

Let’s go to the true and only source of wisdom – God. Godly wisdom is found in the Book of Proverbs, written by King Solomon. He was the wisest and richest man who ever lived. And because he asked for the right thing from God — wisdom, God gave him more wisdom than anyone before or since. So, I think he might just know a bit more about this subject than your average self-help book.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 4:7, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. “Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

According to the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, Wisdom is mature, sensible and truthful; insightful, and knowledgeable with sound judgment. People who possess Godly wisdom, or supernatural wisdom, have the character traits that go along with it.

Humility is the key to gaining true wisdom.

The truly wise person understands that humility is the key ingredient to gaining wisdom. By striving for His humility, the humility of a servant-king, we gain wisdom! None of us will be wiser than God….for God was, and is, and is to come.

“A wise man will hear (understand, obey) and increase learning (there is more to learn, the wise get added instruction), and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel (get good advice, direction), to understand a proverb and an enigma (interpretation), the words of the wise and their riddles” (hard questions, parables, perplexing sayings), Proverbs 1:5, 6.

Do you know people who put their confidence in their money, or possibly their retirement plan? Maybe you were a person who believed you were well prepared for the future and retirement based upon your investments and bank account? Recessions remind us we can’t count on the world’s system. It was never meant for us to count on.

You cannot serve God and mammon.

As Believers, we are to trust “only” in Christ and His Kingdom. We need reminders that we have strayed and adopted the world’s system. It seeps in gradually, and with time we grow dull as to the extent in which it has taken over our thinking. “Every word of God is pure (a refiner, to test); He is a shield to those who put their trust (to make refuge, confide or hope) in Him,” Proverbs 30:5.

God alone is the One who prospers and protects us in times of calamity. If you are a Believer who got caught up in the system of the world, thank God for showing you your need to once again trust only in Him. We are to be a savvy people, not naïve as Solomon states in Proverbs 28:6, “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity (innocence) than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.”

Thank God for any loss you may have incurred with the current state of the economy. That’s right, I said thank God for any loss you may have had. I know that sounds peculiar to some and you might be thinking that is the dumbest thing you have ever heard. But with loss, comes an awakening from our slumber.

In good times we allow ourselves to be lulled to sleep. We believe that the good times will never end. Bad times wake us from our slumber! If God allowed us to remain asleep we would lose too much. Thank Him for waking you up.

Now that you are fully awake – and with Godly wisdom operating – you can learn new ways to problem-solve and to flourish. Flourishing in bad times requires having Godly wisdom. Remember though, Godly wisdom is only possessed by those who truly “know” and have “accepted” Him as their Savior. If you want supernatural wisdom – then accept the giver of life and wisdom – Jesus. By receiving Him, you receive everything God wants to give you too. When we don’t accept His method for salvation, we can’t receive from Him.

Those who choose not to receive what He offers, will receive what the world has to offer in the coming “difficult” times. Don’t accept a difficult, joyless, and burdensome life. Jesus came to make it better. In accepting Him, you accept His remedies for all of life’s difficulties too.

Wisdom keeps you alert to what’s really important, and to what’s really going on around you. We’re to seek it with all our heart. When we possess it – we posses abundant life. You must accept God first, who is the giver of Godly wisdom, if you want to possess it. Will you accept Him today?